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Donald Driver
Houston, Texas |college = Alcorn State |draft = 1999 – Round: 7 – Pick: 213 |teams = Green Bay Packers (1999–) |home = |road = |alt = |typen = 2 |type1 = Packers |type2 = Packers |links = |credit = }} Donald Driver (born February 2, 1975 in Houston, Texas) is a former wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) who played with the team from 1999 to 2012 after being drafted in the 1999 NFL Draft in the seventh round (213th overall) out of Alcorn State. Driver holds the franchise record for the most career receptions of any wide receiver to play for the Packers (647) and holds the most receiving yards in team history (10,137). In addition, Driver is Lambeau Field's all-time leader in receptions (311) and receiving yards (4,285). After overcoming numerous obstacles growing up as a child, he has become one of the team’s most inspirational and involved players in giving back to the community. In 2000, he and his wife created the Donald Driver Foundation, which offers assistance to homeless mothers and underprivileged children as well as scholarships to high school students. Since 1999, he has made more than 500 appearances delivering motivational speeches or offering assistance to schools, youth football fields, churches, and various charities. College career Donald Driver attended Alcorn State University, where he lettered in both football and track & field. He finished his college football career with 88 receptions for 1,933 yards (19.69 YPC). Driver is one of the most decorated track athletes in the NFL (he is an Olympic class high jumper, being able to jump 7 feet 6 inches, and could have qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics team. He was a five-time "Athlete of the Year" in his conference for his track and football prowess. Professional career Green Bay Packers Driver showed a special connection with Brett Favre, and was Favre's most reliable receiver from 2002-2007. Known as one of the toughest wide receivers in the game, Driver had the most catches in the NFL in the middle of the field in 2006. He set a career best for yards on November 12, 2006 when he caught six passes for 191 yards including an 82 yard touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings. Driver finished the 2006 season in the top five of the league in reception yardage with 1,295 yards. He also recorded the most receptions in his career with 92 of them, earning a spot in the 2007 Pro Bowl. On December 16, 2007 during a 33-14 victory over the St. Louis Rams, Favre broke Dan Marino's all-time record mark of 61,361 career passing yards. The new record came on a seven yard completion to Driver. Driver was selected for the 2008 Pro Bowl. In the NFC Championship game on January 20, 2008 against the New York Giants, Driver had the longest play in the playoffs of the Packers' franchise history with a 90 yard TD catch from Favre. On October 18, 2009, Donald Driver became the Green Bay Packers all-time leading receiver in catches, with 596 catches. He went on to catch 6 more balls for 107 yards in a 26-0 home victory over the Detroit Lions. On September 8, 2011, Driver caught four balls for 41 yards in the opening game against the New Orleans Saints and was only one yard short of becoming the Packers' all-time leader in receiving yards. Driver finally broke the Packers' all-time receiving yardage record on September 18, 2011, against the Carolina Panthers after he caught a 10-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers, surpassing James Lofton. On February 6, 2011, Driver was injured on his second reception of Super Bowl XLV. Out with an ankle sprain, Driver returned to the game in the end for the final plays as the Packers went on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31–25. Driver finished Super Bowl XLV with two receptions for 28 yards. Despite losing playing time to Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson, Driver was a veteran presence for a young Packers receiving corps led by former NFL MVP QB Aaron Rodgers in the twilight of his career. On January 31, 2013, Driver announced his retirement on ESPN2 Mike and Mike in the Morning after spending his entire career (14 seasons) with the Green Bay Packers. He missed only four games in his career, the last one being November 18, 2012. On February 6, 2013, the Green Bay Packers hosted a public retirement ceremony for Driver. This was the first public retirement ceremony ever held for a Packers player. It was held in the Lambeau Field Atrium with comments made by Mark Murphy, Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy, and Driver. It was sold out in 14 minutes and hundreds of fans were in attendance. The mayor of Green Bay presented Driver with a key to the city and announced that the receiver statue that previously resided in front of the former Packers Hall of Fame and is now in downtown Green Bay would be refurbished, with the receiver wearing a No. 80 Driver jersey. The street leading to the statue was also renamed "Donald Driver Way." On July 22, 2017, He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. Off the field Donald hosted Inside the Huddle with Donald Driver, his statewide TV show, which is in its 7th season in 2009. Every Tuesday Donald talks football with “The Green House” on AM 620 WTMJ, Milwaukee’s number one rated radio station. As the most popular athlete in the state of Wisconsin, Donald is at the center of marketing campaigns of top companies such as McDonald's, AirTran Airways, Kwik-Trip, Goodwill, Jani-King and Time Warner Cable. In addition to being a successful football star, Driver has been very active off the field. Persevering through incredible setbacks has sparked Donald to become one of the most active Green Bay Packers in the community; making over 300 appearances since his rookie 1999 season. In the spring of 2001, Donald and his wife Betina created the “Donald Driver Foundation”, which offers assistance to ill children with unmanageable hospital bills, provides housing for the homeless, and donates to a variety of local charities. In December 2003, the foundation put two previously homeless families in new, fully furnished homes. Donald has also donated much of his time and efforts to such institutions as Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Goodwill Industries. In 2001, Driver was awarded the “Community Service Award” by the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce in recognition of his outstanding community involvement. Donald also received the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2002, the only NFL award that recognizes off-the-field community service as well as playing excellence. In 2005 he was awarded the Ed Block Courage award by his Green Bay teammates. Personal life Driver co-hosts the statewide Packer analysis television series Inside the Huddle with Donald Driver alongside WLUK-TV's sports director Drew Smith, and has done so since 2004. Driver also served as host to the annual Offense vs. Defense softball game featuring members of the Green Bay Packers. Driver is also an accomplished author of three children's books, Quickie Handles a Loss, Quickie Makes the Team, Quickie Goes to the Big Game. All the books are based on Driver's bedtime storytelling to his two children, and are sold statewide through bookstores and sponsoring supermarkets. He has stated that "Quickie" is a nickname his mother gave him because, when she would chase him around the house, she could never catch him. In the Fall of 2013, Driver released his official memoir, Driven, which included many personal stories about both his childhood and career with the Packers that he had never shared before and it made the New York Best Seller list. Two weeks after the book's release, it made the New York Times Bestsellers list. On February 28, 2012, it was announced that Driver would join the cast of Dancing with the Stars for season 14, paired with professional dance partner Peta Murgatroyd. Driver's high energy and athleticism were repeatedly praised by the judges, though Driver was also notorious for not getting a perfect score, until their freestyle, from the judges. Driver and Murgatroyd made it all the way to the finale, and despite competitions from fellow finalists William Levy's high fanbase and Katherine Jenkins' consistently high scores, Driver and Murgatroyd were declared winners on the season finale on May 22, 2012. Statistics }}| } color}}| } color light}}}}|4= } color}}}};" |- | align="center" style="background: # } color light}}; -moz-border-radius: 10px;" | |- | align="center" | |} :Career statistics and player information from NFL.com External links * Donald Driver Official Website * NFL.com - Donald Driver profile * Packers.com - Donald Driver profile * Pro Football Reference - Donald Driver career statistics * Inside the Huddle - Donald Driver TV Show Website * Donald Driver Foundation * [http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2011/1/29/1962676/donald-driver-the-ultimate-packer Acme Packing Co. - Donald Driver: The Ultimate Packer] Category:Green Bay Packers players Category:Green Bay Packers wide receivers Category:Green Bay Packers Pro Bowl players Category:Green Bay Packers playoff captains Category:Green Bay Packers Super Bowl XLV champions Category:Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame inductees